A problem faced by many instructors is that of designing exams that accurately assess the abilities of the students. Typically, these exams are prepared several days in advance, and generic question scores are used based on rough approximation of the question difficulty and length. For example, for a recent class taught by the author, there were…

Although formal papers are typical, sometimes posters or other visual presentations are more useful tools for sharing visual-spatial information. By incorporating creativity and technology into the study of geographical science, STEM (the study of Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics) is changed to STEAM (the A stands for ART)! The…

Couched within a larger critique of assessment practices and how they are used to stigmatize African American children, the authors examine teachers' instructional practices in response to demands of increasing test scores. Many mathematics teachers might be unaware of how these test-driven instructional practices can simultaneously reflect…

This study showcases the collaborative work between, on the one side, the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services, and Equality and the Federation of Municipalities and Provinces and, on the other side, a consortium of eight Spanish universities. The aims are to implement a positive parenting policy to adopt codes of professional best…

This article presents a focused analysis of teacher and student interaction in feedback conversations to contribute to an understanding of feedback as a dialogic process. Extending the work of previous research, two new and detailed coding frameworks--one for teacher feedback and another for student feedback--were developed to capture…

Effective assessment is the cornerstone of the teaching and learning process and a benchmark of teaching competency. P-12 assessment in physical activity can be complex and dynamic, often requiring a set of skills developed over time through trial and error. Novice teachers have limited time to hone an assessment process that can showcase their…

The Scylla and Charybdis in this discussion of teacher evaluation are standardized achievement test data on the one hand, and classroom observational systems on the other. These are the two most common methods used to judge teachers' competency. Both have serious flaws: the former primarily with validity, the latter primarily with reliability. At…

In 2010, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for K-12 English language arts/literacy and mathematics. CCSS are a state-led effort to define the knowledge and skills students need to graduate from high school…

In an increasingly complex and competitive employment environment, organizations such as the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the World Economic Forum, and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills have prioritized major skills, also known as career readiness competencies, that position recent college graduates to successfully…

Although the extent of the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa is unknown, its effect on the socioeconomic and geopolitical spheres is becoming palpable. Its impact on communication and social formations is evident as it has shifted such to a more spatial and virtual sphere. The closure of schools does not only interfere with the…

From the perspective of Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory and Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), dynamic assessment (DA) highlights the role of mediation in the learning process by unveiling the distance between actual learning proficiency and potential learning development. DA is more helpful in fostering students' ability to solve problems…

This study assessed the reliability and criterion-related validity of teacher ratings on the Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist for a sample of 133 children, aged 6-11 years, with autism spectrum disorder (without intellectual disability). Internal consistency for the total sample was 0.93. For a subsample, test-retest reliability was very good (r =…

When states issued the first coronavirus stay-at-home order last March, few could have foreseen how the foundations of learning and teaching would be shaken. As hopes for a brief disruption confronted reality, state and district leaders began plans to extend some form of distance learning into the 2020-21 school year. They also began to think…

The purpose of this project was to examine the results of 8 key assessments that elementary and secondary teacher education candidates completed during their teacher education program. The participants for this project were 72 elementary and 49 secondary pre-service teaching candidates at a mid-sized urban university in the Midwest who were in the…

As school districts deliberate over reopening schools with the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, we've developed this report with strategic guidance on how to harness our current opportunity to transform K-12 education. "Education Policy Issues for the COVID-19 Era: Policy Actions and Responses to Leverage the Moment for Future Readiness"…